Griffin ap Conan Prince of Wales, he distributed his armie into
three portions, one of which (wherein consisted the forces of the
fourth part of England and Cornwal) hee committed to the leading of
Gilbert Earl of Strigill.
[1227.] In Henry the thirds time, by the testimony of Mathew Paris,
William Earle of Sarum, after long tossing at sea, with much adoe,
about Christmas arriued in Cornwall; and so afterwards, did
Earl Richard, the Kings brother, at two seuerall times: the later
of which, being destitute of horses and treasure, he prayed therein
ayde of his loyals.
[1339.] When Edward the third auerred his right to the Crowne
of Fraunce, by the euidence of armes, the French for a counterplea,
made an vnlawfull entry into Deuon and Cornwall; but Hugh Courtney
Earle of Deuon, remooued it with posse Comitatus, and recommitted
them to the wooden prison that brought them thither. Yet would not
the Scots take so much warning by their successe, as example by
their precedent, if at least, Froissarts [98] ignorance of our
English names, bred not his mistaking in the place.
By his relation aso, Cornwalls neere neighbourhead gaue oportunity
of accesse, both to the Earle Montford, when he appealed to that
Kings ayd, for recouering his right in Brittaine (albeit I cannot
bring home Cepsee the designed port of his landing) and after his
captiuitie, to the messengers of his heroicall Countesse, employed
in the like errand.
And from Cornwall, the Earle of Sarum, Wil. de Mesuile and
Philip de Courtney, set to sea, with 40. ships, besides Barks,
and 2000. men at armes, besides Archers, in support of that quarrell.
Lastly, his authoritie enformeth me, that those souldiers of Cornwall,
who vnder their Captaines Iohn Apport and Iohn Cornwall, had defended
the Fort of Bercherel in Brittaine, against the power of Fraunce,
aboue a yeres space, in the end, for want of due succours, vpon an
honourable composition surrendred the same.
[1471.] Queene Margaret, wife to H. 6. vpon her arriual out
of Fraunce, after the losse of Barnet field, receiued great ayd,
though to smal purpose, from the Deuon and Cornish men, vnder the
conduct of Thomas, Earle of that shire.
[1485.] And so much were those Western people addicted to that name,
as they readily followed Sir Edw. Courtney, & his brother Peter,
Bishop of Excester, what time the assisted the Duke of Buckingham,
in his reuolt against Richard the third.
[1497.] Neither did his suppressour and successour, H. the 7. finde
them more loyall: for the Cornish men repining at a Subsidy lately
graunted him by Act of Parliament, were induced to rebellion,
by Thomas Flammock, a Gentleman, & Michael Ioseph, a Black-smith,
with whom they marched to Taunton, there murdering the prouost of
Perin, a Commissioner for the sayd Subsidy, and from thence to Welles,
where Iames Touchet, Lord Audely, degenerated to their party,
with which encrease they passed by Sarisbury to Winchester, and so
into Kent. But by this time, Lords & Commons were gathered in
strength sufficient, to make head against them, and soone after,
black Heath saw the ouerthrow of their forces, in battell, and London,
the punishment of their seducers by iustice.
In the same fatall yeere of reuolts, Perkin Warbeck, a counterfeit
Prince, landed in Cornwall, went to Bodmyn, assembled a trayne of
rake-hels, assaulted Excester, receyued the repulse, and in the
end sped, as is knowne, and as he deserued.
[1549.] The last Cornish rebellion, was first occasioned by
one Kilter, and other his associats of a Westerne parish, called,
S. Keueren, who imbrued their wicked hands in the guiltles blood of
one M. Body, as he sate in Commission at Helston for matters of
reformation in religion: and the yere following, it grew to a
general reuolt, vnder the conduct of Arundel, Wydeslade, Resogan,
and others, followed by 6000. with which power they marched into
Deuon, besieged and assaulted Excester, & gaue the L. Russell
(employed with an army against them) more then one hot encounter,
which yet (as euer) quayled in their ouerthrow.
In my particular view, I will make easie iournies from place to place,
as they lye in my way, taking the Hundreds for my guydes, vntill I
haue accomplished this wearisome voyage.
[98]
My first entrance must be by the hundred of East, so named for
his site, and therein, at Plymouth hauen. It borroweth that name
of the riuer Plym, which rising in Deuon, and by the way baptizing
Plymston, Plymstock, &c. here emptieth it selfe into the sea.
The hauen parteth Deuon and Cornwall welneere euery where, as Tamer
riuer runneth: I say welneere, because some few interlaced places
are excepted: a matter so sorted at the first partition, eyther to
satisfie the affection of some speciall persons, or to appropriate
the soyle to the former Lords, or that (notwithstanding this
seuerance) there might stil rest some cause of entercourse between
the Inhabitants of both Counties: as I haue heard, a late great man
ensued, and expressed the like consideration, in diuision of his
lands between two of his sonnes.
Now though this hauen thus bound both shires, yet doth the
iurisdiction of the water wholly appertayne to the Duchy of
Cornwall, and may therefore bee claymed as a part of that County.
Notwithstanding, I will forbeare what I may, to intrude vpon my good
friend M. Hookers limits, and reserue to him the description of the
farther shore.
The first promontory of this harbour on the West side, is Rame head,
by his proportion, receyuing, and by his possession, giuing, that
name and armes to his owner, whose posterity conueyed it by
inter-marriages, from Durnford, to Edgecumb: on the toppe thereof
riseth a little vaulted Chappell, which serueth for a marke at sea.
From thence trending Penlee poynt, you discouer Kings sand and
Causam Bay, an open roade, yet sometimes affoording succour to the
woorst sort of Seafarers, as not subiect to comptrolment of
Plymouth forts. The shore is peopled with some dwelling houses,
and many Cellers, dearely rented for a short vsage, in sauing
of Pilcherd. At which time, there flocketh a great concourse
of Sayners, and others, depending vpon their labour. I haue heard
the Inhabitants thereabouts to report, that the Earle of Richmond
(afterwards Henry the seuenth) while hee houered vpon the coast,
here by stealth refreshed himselfe; but being aduertised of
streight watch, kept for his surprising at Plymouth, he richly
rewarded his hoste, hyed speedily a shipboord, and escaped happily
to a better fortune.
Here also of late yeeres, part of the Cornish forces twise
encamped themselues, planted some Ordinance, and raised a weake
kind of fortification, therethrough to contest, if not repulse,
the landing of the expected enemie: and a strong watch is continually
kept there, euer since one thousand, fiue hundred, ninetie seuen:
at which time, a Spaniard riding on the Bay, while most of the able
people gaue their attendance at the Countie Assises, sent some
closely into the village, in the darke of the night, who hanged vp
barrels of matter fit to take fire, vpon certaine doores, which by
a traine should haue burned the houses. But one of the Inhabitants,
espying these vnwelcome ghests, with the bounce of a Caliuer chaced
them aboord, and remoued the barrels, before the traynes came to
worke their effect. The Inginer of this practise, (as hath since
appeared by some examinations) was a Portugall, who sometimes sayled
with Sir Iohn Borowghs, and boasted to haue burned his Ship:
for which two honourable exploits, the King of Spaine bestowed on
him two hundred duckets.
[100]
In the mouth of the harbour, lyeth S. Nicholas Iland, in fashion,
losengy, in quantity, about 3. acres, strongly fortifyed,
carefully garded, and subiect to the Commaunder of Plymmouth fort.
When the Cornish rebels, during Edw. the 6. raigne, turmoyled the
quiet of those quarters, it yeelded a safe protection to diuers
dutyful subiects, who there shrowded themselues.
From this Iland, a range of rocks reacheth ouer to the
Southwest shore, discouered at the low water of Spring tides,
and leauing onely a narrow entrance in the midst, called the Yate,
for ships to passe thorow, whereto they are directed by certaine
markes at land.
Vpon this South shore, somewhat within the Iland, standeth
mount Edgecumb, a house builded and named by Sir Ric. Edgecumb,
father to the now possessioner: and if comparisons were as lawfull
in the making, as they prooue odious in the matching, I would presume
to ranke it, for health, pleasure, and commodities, with any subiects
house of his degree in England. It is seated against the North,
on the declining of a hill, in the midst of a Deere park, neere a
narrow entrance, thorow which the salt water breaketh vp into
the country, to shape the greatest part of the hauen. The house is
builded square, with a round turret at eche end, garretted on the top,
& the hall rising in the mids aboue the rest, which yeeldeth a
stately sound, as you enter the same. In Summer, the opened
casements admit a refreshing coolenes: in Winter, the two closed
doores exclude all offensiue coldnesse: the parlour and dining
chamber giue you a large & diuersified prospect of land & sea;
to which vnderly S. Nicholas Iland, Plymmouth fort, & the townes of
Plymmouth, Stonehouse, Milbrook, & Saltajh. It is supplyed with
a neuer-fayling spring of water, and the dwelling stored with wood,
timber, fruit, Deere, and Conies. The ground abundantly answereth
a housekeepers necessities, for pasture, arable and meadow, and is
replenished with a kinde of stone, seruing both for building, lyme,
and marle. On the seaclifs groweth great plenty of the best Ore-wood,
to satisfie the owners want, and accommodate his neighbours.
A little below the house, in the Summer euenings, Sayne-boates come
and draw with their nets for fish; whither the gentry of the house
walking downe, take the pleasure of the sight, and sometimes at
all aduentures, buy the profit of the draughts. Both sides of the
forementioned narrowe entrance, together with the passage betweene,
(much haunted as the high way to PIymmouth) the whole towne
of Stonehouse, and a great circuit of the land adioyning,
appertaine to M. Edgecumbs inheritance: these sides are fenced
with blockhouses, and that next to Mount Edgecumb, was wont to be
planted with ordinance, which at coming & parting, with their base
voices greeted such ghests as visited the house, neither hath the
opportunity of the harbour wanted occasions to bring them, or the
owners a franke mind to inuite them. For proofe whereof, the earst
remembred Sir Ric. (a gentleman in whom mildnes & stoutnes,
diffidence & wisdome, deliberatenes of vndertaking, & sufficieney
of effecting, made a more commendable, then blazing mixture of vertue)
during Q. Ma. raigne, entertained at one time, for some good space,
the Admirals of the English, Spanish, & Netherland fleets, with many
noble men besides. But not too much of this, least a partiall
affection steale, at vnwares, into my commendation, as one,
by my mother, descended from his loynes, and by my birth, a member
of the house.
[101]
Certaine olde ruines, yet remaining, confirme the neighbours report,
that neere the waters side, there stood once a towne, called
West stone house, vntill the French by fire and sword ouerthrew it.
In the yeere one thousand, fiue hundred, ninetie nine, the Spaniards
vaunts caused the Cornish forces to aduance there a kind of
fortification, and to plot the making of a Bridge on barges ouer
that strait, for inhibiting the enemies accesse by boates and Gallies,
into the more inward parts of the hauen. But it may be doubted,
whether the bridge would haue proued as impossible, as the Sconce
fell out vnnecessarie.
Master Peter Edgecumbe (commonly called Peers) married Margaret
the daughter of Sir Andrew Lutterel, his father Sir Richard married
[blank] the daughter of Tregian: his father Sir Peers married [blank]
the daughter, and heire of Stephan Durnford: and his father
Sir Richard, married [blank] the daughter of Tremayn. These names
of Peers and Richard, they haue successiuely varied for sixe or
seuen descents. Hee beareth for his Armes, Gules on a Bend ermine,
betweene two Cotises, Or. 3. Bores heades coped, arg. armed as the
third; Langued as the field.
A little inward from Mountedgecumb, lieth a safe and commodious Road
for shipping, called Hamose, and compounded of the words Ose, and Ham,
according to the nature of the place. Here those vessels cast anchor,
which are bound to the Eastwards, as those doe in Catwater, who would
fare to the West; because euerie wind that can erue them at Sea,
will from thence carrie them out: which commoditie other roads doe
not so conueniently affoord. It is reported, that in times past,
there was an ordinary passage ouer this water, to a place on Deuon
side, called Horsecoue, but long since discontinued.
At the higher end of a creek, passing vp from hence, Milbrook lurketh
between two hilles, a village of some 80. houses, and borrowing his
name from a mill and little brook, running therethrough. In my
remembrance (which extendeth not to aboue 40. yeeres) this village
tooke great encrease of wealth and buildings, through the iust and
industrious trade of fishing, and had welneere forty ships and barks
at one time belonging therevnto. But our late broyles with Spayne
haue let vp a more compendious, though not so honest way of gayning,
and begin by little and little, to reduce these plaine dealers,
to their former vndeserued plight. Yet do they prescribe, in a
suburbiall market (as I may terme it) to Plymmouth, for their reliefe,
by intercepting, if not forestalling, such corne and victuals,
as passing thorow their streights, cannot for want of time or weather,
get ouer Crymell passage, to the other: and surely they are not
unworthy of fauour: for this towne furnisheth more able Mariners at
euery prest for her Highnesse seruice, then many others of far
greater blaze.
It chanced about twenty yeeres sithence, that one Richaurd, wife to
Richard Adams of this towne, was deliuered of two male children,
the one ten weekes after the other, who liued vntil baptisme, & the
later hitherto: Which might happen, in that the woman bearing twinnes,
by some blow, slide, or other extraordinary accident, brought forth
the first before his time, and the later in his due season. Now,
that a childe borne in the seuenth moneth may liue, both Astrologers
and Phisicions [102] doe affirme, but in the 8. they deny it;
and these are their reasons: The Astrologers hold, that the
child in the mothers wombe, is successiuely gouerned euery moneth,
by the seuen Planets, beginning at Saturne: after which reckoning,
he returning to his rule the 8, month, by his dreery influence,
infortunateth any birth that shal then casually befall: whereas
his succeeder Iupiter, by a better disposition worketh a more
beneficiall effect. The Phisicions deliuer, that in the seuenth
moneth, the childe, by course of nature, turneth it self in the
mothers belly; wherefore, at that time, it is readier (as halfe
loosed) to take issue by any outward chance. Mary, in the eighth,
when it beginneth to settle againe, and as yet retayneth some
weakenes of the former sturring, it requireth a more forcible
occasion, & that induceth a slaughtering violence. Or if these
coniecturall reasons suffice not to warrant a probability of
the truth, Plynies authority in a stranger case, shall presse
them farther: for hee writeth, that a woman brought a bed of one
childe in the seuenth moneth, in the moneths following, was also
deliuered of twinnes.
A part of Mount-Edgecumb, and of this Milbrook, though seuered
from Deuon, by the generall bound, yet, vpon some of the
foreremembred considerations, haue bene annexed thereunto.
Aside of Milbrook, lyeth the Peninsula of Inswork, on whose
neckland standeth an ancient house of the Champernons, and descended
by his daughters and heires, to Forteskew, Monck, and Treuilian,
three Gentlemen of Deuon. The site is naturally both pleasant and
profitable; to which, the owner by his ingenious experiments,
daily addeth an artificiall surplusage.
Passing somewhat farther vp, you meet with the foot of Lyner,
where it winneth fellowship with Tamer, that, till then, and this,
yet longer, retayning their names, though their ouer-weake streames
were long before confounded, by the predominant salt water.
A little within this mouth of Lyner, standeth East-Antony, the poore
home of mine ancestours, with which in this maner they were inuested:
Sir Iohn Lerchedekne, Knight, and not priest, (for he was so called
of his family, and not by his calling, as in Froissard you shall note
the like, to be familiar amongst the nobility of Gascoigne)
by Cecill, the daughter and heire of Iordan of Haccumb, had issue 9.
sonnes, Ralph, Waryne, Richard, Otho, Iohn, Robert, Martyn, Reignald,
and Michael. Richard married Ione, the daughter of Iohn Bosowr,
that bare him Thomas, in whome the heires male of this multiplyed
hope tooke an end. Warine, afterwards knighted, tooke to wife
Elizabeth, one of the daughters and heires to Iohn Talbot de
Castro Ricardi, and on her begat three daughters and heires.
Allenor, wedded to Sir Walter Lucy: Margery, to Sir Thomas Arundel
of Taluerne: and Philip, to Sir Hugh Courtney of Bauncton (which I
take is now named Boconnock.) From Lucy descended the Lord Faux,
and others. Margery dyed childlesse, anno 1419. as is testified by
her toomb-stone in West-Antony Church, where shee lyeth buried.
Sir Hugh Courtney was second sonne to Ed. Earle of Deuon, & had
2. wiues: the first, Maud, daughter of the L. Beaumond; to whose
children, for want of issue in the elder stock, that Earledome
deuolued, & the later, our foreremembred Philip, who left her
inheritance to her only daughter Ione: and she taking a patterne
from her fathers fortune, espoused likewise 2. husbands, viz.
Sir Nicholas Baron of Carew, and Sir Robert Fere, brother
to [103] Iohn Earle of Oxford: to Sir Nicholas, shee bare Thomas,
Nicholas, Hugh, Alexander, and William: to Sir Robert, Iohn, and
became widdow of both. And, as after the fathers decease, good
agreement betweene the mother and eldest sonne hath commonly weake
continuance, because both being enfranchised to a sudden absolute
iurisdiction, neither of them can easily temper the same with a
requisite moderation: so it chaunced, that shee and hers fell at
square, which discord (with an vnnaturall extremity) brake forth into
a blow, by him no lesse dearly, then vndutifully giuen his mother:
for vpon so iust a cause, she disinherited him of all her lands,
being seuenteene mannours, and bestowed them on her yonger sonnes.
This I learned by the report of Sir Peter Carew, the elder of
that name, and eldest of our stock (a Gentleman, whose rare worth
my pen is not able to shaddow, much lesse with his due lineaments
to represent) at such time, as being a scholler in Oxford of
fourteene yeeres age, and three yeeres standing, vpon a wrong
conceyued opinion touching my sufficiency, I was there called to
dispute ex tempore (impar congressus Achilli) with the matchles
Sir Ph. Sidney, in presence of the Earles, Leycester, Warwick,
and diuers other great personages. By the forementioned conueyance,
she disposed of her sayd mannours as followeth: Haccumb, Ringmore,
and Milton, shee gaue to Nicholas: Lyham, Manedon, Combhall, and
Southtawton, to Hugh: East-Antony, Shoggebroke, and Landegy,
to Alexander: Wicheband, Widebridge, Bokeland, and Bledeuagh,
to William: and lastly, Roseworthy, Bosewen, and Tregennow, to Iohn:
al which she entailed to them, and the issue of their bodies,
substituting, for want thereof, the one to be heire to the other:
and in witnes hereof (sayth she in her conueyance) to each of these
deedes fiue times indented, I haue set my seale ; and because my
seale is to many vnknowne, haue procured the seale of the Maior of
the Citie of Exon, to be also adioyned.
Thomas her eldest sonne, repayred this losse, in part, by matching
with one of Carminowes, daughters and heires.
From Nicholas, is descended Carew of Haccumb, who by vertue of
this entayle, succeeded also to Hughs portion, as deceasing
issuelesse. From William is come Carew of Crocum in Somerset shire,
and from Iohn Vere, the now Earle of Oxford, deriueth his pedigree.
Alexander maried Elizabeth the daughter of Hatch, and begate Iohn,
who tooke to wife Thamesin, one of the daughters and heires of
Holland: their sonne Sir Wymond, espoused Martha, the daughter of
Edmund, and sister to Sir Anthony Denny. Sir Wymond had Thomas,
the husband of Elizabeth Edgecumb, and they myselfe, linked in
matrimony with Iulian, daughter to Iohn Arundel of Trerice, and
one of the heires to her mother Catherine Cosewarth, who hath
made me father of Richard, lately wedded to Briget, daughter of
Iohn Chudleigh of Ashton in Deuon.
Touching our stock in generall, and my family in particular,
being once vainly disposed (I would it had bene but once) I made
this idle obseruation.
CArew of ancient Carru was,
And Carru is a plowe,
Romanes the trade, Frenchmen the word,
I doe the name auowe.
The elder stock, and we a braunch,
At Phoebes gouerning.
[104]
From fire to sonne, doe waxe and wane,
By thrift and lauishing.
The fire, not valuing at due price
His wealth, it throwes away:
The sonne, by seruice or by match,
Repaireth this decay.
The smelling fence we sundry want,
But want it without lack:
For t'is no sense, to wish a weale,
That brings a greater wrack.
Through natures marke, we owne our babes,
By tip of th' upper lip;
Black-bearded all the race, saue mine,
Wrong dide by mothership.
The Barons wife, Arch-deacons heire,
Vnto her yonger sonne
Gaue Antony, which downe to me,
By 4. descents hath runne.
All which, and all their wiues, exprest
A Turtles single loue,
And neuer did tha'duentrous change,
Of double wedding proue.
We are the fist: to swarue herefrom,
I will not though I could,
As for my wife, God may dispose,
Shee shall not, though she would.
Our family transplants it selfe,
To grow in other shires,
And Countrey rather makes then takes,
As best behoofe appeares.
Children thrice three God hath vs lent,
Two sonnes, and then a mayd,
By order borne, of which, one third
We in the graue haue layd.
Our eldest daughter widow fell,
Before our yongest borne:
So doe hard haps vnlooked come,
So are our hopes forlorne.
Mine trebled haue in either sexe,
Those which my parents got,
And yet but halfed them, which God
My graundsire did allot:
Whose grace in Court, rarely obtayned,
To th'yongst of those eighteene,
Three Kings of England Godfathers,
For Godmother, our Queene.
The Armes of our family, are Or. 3. Lyons passant, sable: armed and
Langued Gules.
It exceedeth good maners, to inuite your longer stay at our cold
harbour; and yet, for that diuers strangers haue, either vpon cause
or kindnesse, pretended to like well of a saltwater pond there made;
and others, whose dwelling affoordeth a semblable oportunity,
may (perhaps) take some light herefrom, to doe the like: if they
be so disposed, I will put my selfe to the payne of particularly
describing it, and you may (notwithstanding) at your pleasure,
saue the labour of perusing it; wherein I will by the way interlace
some notes, for the Imitaters better instruction.